The present invention relates to rolling bearings, for example ball bearings, having an oblique contact and, more particularly, the invention provides a cartridge for a bearing of this type and the application thereof for example in a steering column for a vehicle, for example a ground motor vehicle.
In many applications, such as those concerning steering columns for motor vehicles and in particular ground vehicles, it is necessary to guide in rotation a shaft mounted in a support by means of at least one rolling bearing, for example a ball bearing, having an oblique contact interposed between the shaft and the support and placed in a housing of the support.
In such applications, the rolling bearings employed must be capable of accepting manufacturing tolerances and defects in the shape of the housings which are sometimes very large, while operating without play and retaining a small rotation torque. Further, the operation must occur with a very low level of noise and practically without transmission of vibrations.
Further, the assembly and the utilization of such rolling bearings must be as simple as possible.
Various arrangements have already been proposed for this type of utilization but none of them is fully satisfactory at acceptable production costs and utilization, and with a satisfactory life span.
Some proposed arrangements often comprise a hoop of synthetic material which maintains from the outside all the components of the oblique contact rolling bearing. Other arrangements employ a rolling bearing whose outside diameter is offset relative to the torus of the raceway instead of being tangent to the latter. It will be observed that the last-mentioned arrangement remains nonetheless dependent on large ovalizations which often affect the steering column supports in particular those provided with notches. Other arrangements employ both a hoop and a tolerance ring of synthetic material.
Examples of these arrangements are for example disclosed in the documents FR 2 426 828, FR 2 426 829, FR 2 586 069, FR 2 628 160 and FR 2 669 086, reference to which may be had for further information.